What Electrician Qualifications Do I Need?
If you are thinking about training to become an electrician it's important for you to understand the route you will take to getting the right skills that you will need for this new career.
In the UK the industry recognised education standards body is the City and Guilds.
The City and Guilds are leaders in setting out the required skills and industry best practices to do certain jobs. So before you sign up for a course, make sure to ask if the training centre is City & Guilds accredited. That way you'll know you'll be getting the correct training and qualifications that are recognized by the electrical trade.
If you want train to be a fully qualified electrician then the following courses are the ones which you will need:
Basic Level of requirements to be an electrician:
- City & Guilds 2330 Technical Certificate in Electro technical Technology level 2
- City & Guilds 2330 Technical Certificate in Electro technical Technology level 3
- C&G 2382 Level 3 Certificate in the Requirements for Electrical Installations
- C&G 2377 Level 3 Certificate for the Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment
- EAL VRQ Level 2 Certificate for Domestic Electrical Installers
- C&G 2391 Level 3 Certificate in Inspection, Testing and Certification.
You will need a minimum of NVQ at level 3 in electrical installation where you are required to demonstrate competence in the workplace.
Once you successfully complete these city and guilds courses you should have all the technical and practical skills enter the work place, and potential employers should recognise that, however to be considered a fully qualified electrician it will then be important to arrange to get NVQ at level 3 in electrical installation where you are required to demonstrate competence in the workplace; which you would get via an onsite inspection by an examiner of you at work doing electrical work.
Due to the nature of the job there is a lot to learn, but you should not let that put you off, if you are serious in wanting to become an electrician then it is certainly achievable to almost anyone if they are willing to learn.
Find a training course near you on our interactive map!
Job Profile
Electrician's can earn:
- Starting around £17,500 - £20,000 per year
- £30,000 per year or more with experience
Hours Worked
- up to 39 per week Monday to Friday
You may be required to work weekends and evenings for emergency callouts or in order to meet a customer's deadline.
If you are self employed the more you work the more you can make.
You also choose the hours you work to fit around your own lifestyle.
Electricians usually work indoors although these can be in unfinished builds i.e. Construction sites.
Information on Electrical Apprenticeship Schemes
You can get a headstart learning by reading some of these great electrician training books, that are used to teach trainee electricians.
